HOT ROD Drag Week 2014 Gossip: Who Is Going to Kill it in Small Block NA?

The HOT ROD Drag Week boys and girls play a mean game of bench race. This gang is more full of, uh, it than a country fair outhouse. Then they come out to Drag Week presented by Gear Vendors (This year Sept 7th in Tulsa), and they have to back it all up. The eventual showdown doesn’t slow down the guessing and gossiping though. There are several Facebook pages devoted to calling out fellow Drag Weekers, and they can get pretty hot and heavy. Take, for example, this thread started by Small Block aficionado, Jake Stelter.

This particular thread goes on for about 50 comments, most of them claiming that either Chris or Jake is telling tales.

We sent Jake a note asking him what was what, and he sent back the following:

“You want N/A Small Block Gossip?

3 Big Contenders……

Jeff McConnell…
-rumored to be doing a new block with 55mm cam tunnel and .904 lifters
-rumored to be upgrading cylinder heads/fuel injection
-in search of the first 8-sec ET in Drag Week History (in the class)

Mike Crow…
-has new block prepared with altered lifter angles to improve geometry
-has a new set of W9 raised runner heads along with upgrades in FI and coil on plug to go with new manifold.
-Looks to regain his spot atop the SB/NA class